MP-09 Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (Toys R Us exclusive)

I got this guy last week. It’s pretty neat. Worth picking up if you’re into these types of collectables. This is definitely not a toy meant for kids as its rather intricate and can be easily broken if not handled carefully. Of the Masterpiece figures I own I’d say this one is a bit more durable than Megatron, but not nearly as sturdy as MP01 Optimus Prime or Grimlock. Masterpiece Starscream is just barely a notch above in terms of durability in my opinion.

The Japanese Takara/Tomy version of the figure came with a trailer giving Rodimus 4 modes of sports car, Hot Rod, space Winnebago, and Rodimus Prime. This is the US release by Hasbro which does not include the trailer and therefore he only has three modes. The difference between Hot Rod and Rodimus is so minor it’s almost not worth showing here. Basically his legs extend an extra 1/16th of an inch, his spoiler widens ever so slightly, and his face changes to a more mature robot. The robot mode picture above has him with his mature face but his legs are not extended because the extending legs just makes him look like he’s wearing underwear on the outside.

Rodimus Prime – Underwear Mode

Transformation is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. The most difficult part is figuring out how to correctly transform his ankles so everything fits together in car mode. Be careful of the fragile tabs on the rear roof sections as they appear to be very thin in the exact spot that they should be reinforced. I’m lucky in the fact that I read about the weak spots before owning the figure, but I’ve seen plenty of people with cracked off tabs or stress marks on theirs. Overall the figure is worth buying even with its faults.

Toys r Us Masterpiece Rodimus Prime alternate mode

Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime has some neat details like a flip down visor, opening Matrix chamber, opening cockpit in car mode, his arms can deploy the torch and cutting wheel as seen in the show. He comes with two guns that can combine to form a rifle, two different sizes of the Matrix of leadership (one for the figure to hold, the other to place in his chest), and a Targetmaster figure that transforms into a double barrel gun.